Pixel circuit and organic light emitting display device

ABSTRACT

A pixel circuit to be connected to a data line and first and second power supply lines includes a light emitting element connected between the first power supply line and the second power supply line; a driving transistor to control a current flowing from the first power supply line to the second power supply line through the light emitting element according to a voltage of a first node; a first switching element connected between the first node and a second node; a second switching element connected between the second node and a third node; a first capacitor connected between the first power supply line and the first node; and a second capacitor connected between the second node and the data line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0024722, filed on Feb. 28, 2018,in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and entitled: “Pixel Circuitand Organic Light Emitting Display Device,” is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

One or more embodiments relate to a pixel circuit and an organic lightemitting display device.

2. Description of the Related Art

An organic light emitting display device includes a light emittingelement, e.g., an organic light emitting diode, whose luminance varieswith an applied current. A pixel in the organic light emitting displaydevice includes an organic light emitting diode, a driving transistorfor controlling the amount of a current supplied to the organic lightemitting diode according to the voltage between a gate electrode and asource electrode, and a switching transistor for transmitting a datavoltage for controlling the luminance of the organic light emittingdiode to the driving transistor.

Due to manufacturing process errors, the driving transistors in theorganic light emitting display device may have different thresholdvoltages from one other. Thus, even if the same data voltage is appliedthereto, the amount of a current output by the driving transistors maybe different depending on the respective threshold voltages. Further,the amount of a current to be output by the driving transistors duringthe current frame period may vary with the amount of a current outputduring the previous frame period. Further, when the organic lightemitting diode emits light during the previous frame period, the organiclight emitting diode may slightly emit light even though a full blackpicture should be displayed during the current frame period.

Accordingly, the pixel may further include a plurality of transistors inaddition to the driving transistor and the switching transistor.Further, control lines for controlling the added transistors may beadditionally required. As such, when transistors and control lines forcontrolling the transistors are added to the pixel, the area occupied bythe pixel increases, making it difficult to increase pixel densityresolution of the organic light emitting display device.

SUMMARY

According to one or more embodiments, a pixel circuit to be connected toa data line and first and second power supply lines includes: a lightemitting element connected between the first power supply line and thesecond power supply line; a driving transistor controlling a currentflowing from the first power supply line to the second power supply linethrough the light emitting element according to a voltage of a firstnode; a first switching element connected between the first node and asecond node; a second switching element connected between the secondnode and a third node; a first capacitor connected between the firstpower supply line and the first node; and a second capacitor connectedbetween the second node and the data line.

According to one or more embodiments, a display device includes: a firstpower supply line; a second power supply line; a data line; a pixelincluding a first switching element connected between a first node and asecond node, a second switching element connected between the secondnode and a third node, a driving transistor controlling a currentflowing from the first power supply line to the third node according toa voltage of the first node, a light emitting element connected betweenthe third node and the second power supply line, a first capacitorconnected between the first power supply line and the first node, and asecond capacitor connected between the second node and the data line;and a controller controlling the first and second switching elements,the first and second power supply lines, and the data line, during oneframe period including first to seventh sequential periods.

According to one or more embodiments, an organic light emitting displaydevice includes: a pixel connected to a first power supply line, asecond power supply line, a scan line, a control line, and a data line;and a driver controlling the first power supply line, the second powersupply line, the scan line, the control line, and the data line, duringfirst to seventh sequential periods, wherein the pixel includes: anorganic light emitting diode having a first electrode and a secondelectrode connected to the second power supply line; a first transistorhaving a gate electrode, a first electrode connected to the first powersupply line, and a second electrode connected to the first electrode ofthe organic light emitting diode; a second transistor having a controlelectrode connected to the scan line, a first electrode connected to thegate electrode of the first transistor, and a second electrode; a thirdtransistor having a control electrode connected to the control line, afirst electrode connected to the second electrode of the secondtransistor, and a second electrode connected to the second electrode ofthe first transistor; a first capacitor connected between the firstpower supply line and the gate electrode of the first transistor; and asecond capacitor connected between the second electrode of the secondtransistor and the data line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features will become apparent to those of skill in the art by describingin detail exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an organic lightemitting display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a circuit diagram of a pixel according to anembodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a timing chart for driving the pixel of FIG. 2according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a timing chart for driving the pixel of FIG. 2according to another embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a head-mounted display, whichis an example of a display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a view showing use of the head-mounted display ofFIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a partial exploded perspective view of thehead-mounted display of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of whichare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencenumerals refer to like elements throughout. In this regard, the presentexemplary embodiments may have different forms and should not beconstrued as being limited to the descriptions set forth herein.Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments are merely described below, byreferring to the figures, to explain aspects of the present description.As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “atleast one of”, when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire listof elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail byexplaining exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure withreference to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals in thedrawings denote like elements, and thus their description will beomitted.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. maybe used herein to describe various elements, these elements should notbe limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish oneelement from another. Further, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the”are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the contextclearly indicates otherwise. It will be understood that the terms suchas “include,” “comprise,” and “have” used herein specify the presence ofstated features or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features or components. It will be furtherunderstood that when a layer, region, or component is referred to asbeing “on” another layer, region, or component, it can be directly orindirectly on the other layer, region, or component. That is, forexample, intervening layers, regions, or components may be present.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an organic light emitting displaydevice according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, an organic lightemitting display device. 100 may include a display unit 110, a scandriver 120, a data driver 130, a timing controller 140, a voltagegenerator 150, and a control driver 160.

The display unit 110 may include a plurality of pixels PX. Although onlyone pixel PX is shown in FIG. 1, this is for just for ease ofunderstanding. The pixels PX may be arranged, in an embodiment, in amatrix.

The pixels PX may be connected to scan lines SL1 to SLn and data linesDL1 to DLm. The scan lines SL1 to SLn may transmit scan signals S1 to Snoutput from the scan driver 120 to the pixels PX in the same row,respectively. The data lines DL1 to DLm may transmit data signals D1 toDm output from the data driver 130 to the pixels PX in the same column,respectively. The pixel PX may be connected to the scanning line SLlocated in the same row among the scanning lines SL1 to SLn and may beconnected to the data line DL located in the same column among the datalines DL1 to DLm.

The pixels PX may be commonly connected to a control line CL and firstand second power supply lines PL1 and PL2. The control line CL and thefirst and second power supply lines PL1 and PL2 may be driven by thecontrol driver 160.

The control line CL may include a plurality of sub control linesconnected to the pixels PX in the matrix. The sub control lines mayextend in the row direction in parallel with the scan lines SL1 to SLn.The scan lines SL1 to SLn may transmit the scan signals S1 to Sn to thepixels PX at different timings, but all of the sub control lines maytransmit a control signal GC to the pixels PX at the same timing. Thesub control lines may all be electrically connected to each other. Theelectrically connected sub control lines may be collectively referred toas a control line CL.

The first power supply line PL1 may include a plurality of sub powersupply lines connected to the pixels PX in the matrix. The sub powersupply lines may extend in the column direction in parallel with thedata lines DL1 to DLm. According to another embodiment, the sub powersupply lines may extend in the row direction in parallel with the scanlines SL1 to SLn. The sub power supply lines may be all electricallyconnected to each, and may have the same timing and varying voltagelevels. The electrically connected sub power supply lines may becollectively referred to as a first power supply line PL1. The voltageapplied to the first power supply line PL1 may be varied within oneframe period and is referred to as a first power supply voltage PV1. Thefirst power supply voltage PV1 may have two different levels, that is, afirst level and a second level. The first power supply voltage PV1 ofthe first level may be referred to as a first level voltage PV1_h, andthe first power supply voltage PV1 of the second level may be referredto as a second level voltage PV1_l. The first level voltage PV1_h may begreater than the second level voltage PV1_l.

The second power supply line PL2 may be commonly connected to the lightemitting elements of the pixels PX in the form of a common electrode.The voltage applied to the second power supply line PL2 may be variedwithin one frame period and is referred to as a second power supplyvoltage PV2. The second power supply voltage PV2 may have two differentlevels, that is, a third level and a fourth level. The second powersupply voltage PV2 of the third level may be referred to as a thirdlevel voltage PV2_h, and the second power supply voltage PV2 of thefourth level may be referred to as a fourth level voltage PV2_l. Thethird level voltage PV2_h may be greater than the fourth level voltagePV2_l.

According to an embodiment, the first level voltage PV1_h applied to thefirst power supply line PL1 may be substantially equal to the thirdlevel voltage PV2_h applied to the second power supply line PL2. In thiscase, the first level voltage PV1_h and the third level voltage PV2_hmay be generated from a high level voltage PVh. Further, the secondlevel voltage PV1_l applied to the first power supply line PL1 may besubstantially equal to the third level voltage PV2_l applied to thesecond power supply line PL2. In this case, the second level voltagePV1_l and the fourth level voltage PV2_l may be generated from a lowlevel voltage PV1. The high level voltage PVh and the low level voltagePV1 may be referred to as a first driving voltage ELVDD and a seconddriving voltage ELVSS, respectively.

The pixel PX may include a light emitting element and a drivingtransistor for controlling the amount of a current flowing to the lightemitting element based on a data voltage Vdata of the received datasignal D. The data signal D may be transmitted from the data driver 130through the corresponding data line DL, and may include a referencevoltage Vref and a data voltage Vdata. The light emitting element mayemit light at a luminance determined based on the data voltage Vdata.

When a unit pixel includes a plurality of subpixels for displaying afull color, the pixel PX may correspond to a part of the unit pixel,i.e., a subpixel. The light emitting element may be an organic lightemitting diode. The pixel PX will be described in more detail below withreference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The voltage generator 150 may generate voltages used for the operationsof the scan driver 120 and the control driver 160. In an embodiment, thevoltage generator 150 may generate the first level voltage PV1_h and thesecond level voltage PV1_l applied to the first power supply line PL1and the third level voltage PV2_h, and the fourth level voltage PV2_lapplied to the second power supply line PL2, and may provide thesegenerated voltages to the control driver 160. The first level voltagePV1_h and the fourth level voltage PV2_l may be voltages applied to thefirst power supply line PL1 and the second power supply line PL2 duringa light emission period in which the light emitting element emits light.The second level voltage PV1_l may be a voltage applied to the firstpower supply line PL1 during at least a part of a non-light emissionperiod in which the light emitting element does not emit light. Thethird level voltage PV2_h may be a voltage applied to the second powersupply line PL2 during the non-light emission period.

According to another embodiment, when the first level voltage PV1_h andthe third level voltage PV2_h are generated from the high level voltagePVh and the second level voltage PV1_l and the fourth level voltagePV2_l are generated from the low level voltage PV1, the voltagegenerator 150 may generate the high level voltage PVh and the low levelvoltage PV1 and provide these generated voltages to the control driver160.

The voltage generator 150 may generate a turn-off voltage Voff and aturn-on voltage Von for controlling a switching element e.g., aswitching transistor, of the pixel PX, and provide these generatedvoltages to the scan driver 120 and the control driver 160. When theturn-off voltage Voff is applied to the gate electrode of the switchingtransistor, the switching transistor is turned off, and when the turn-onvoltage Von is applied to the gate electrode of the switchingtransistor, the switching transistor is turned on. When the switchingtransistor is a p-type metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor(MOSFET), the level of the turn-off voltage Voff may be higher than thelevel of the turn-on voltage Von. When the switching transistor is ann-type MOSFET, the level of the turn-off voltage Voff may be lower thanthe level of the turn-on voltage Von.

The voltage generator 150 may generate voltages at other levels inaddition to the above-described voltages and provide these generatedvoltages to the scan driver 120 and the control driver 160. Further, thevoltage generator 150 may generate gamma reference voltages and providethese gamma reference voltages to the data driver 130.

The timing controller 140 may control operation timings of the scandriver 120, the data driver 130, and the control driver 160 to controlthe pixels PX of the display unit 110. Each of the pixels PX may receivea new data voltage Vdata for each frame and emit light at a luminancecorresponding to the received data voltage Vdata, so that the displayunit 110 may display an image corresponding to image data RGB of oneframe. According to an embodiment, one frame period may include aplurality of periods, e.g., a light-off period, first to thirdinitiation periods, a compensation period, a data writing period, and alight emission period. According to an embodiment, all the pixels PX inthe display unit 110 may emit light at the same time. According toanother embodiment, when the display unit 110 is divided into aplurality of regions, e.g., a region for displaying an image for a lefteye and a region for displaying an image for a right eye, the pixels PXin each region may emit light at the same time.

The timing controller 140 may receive a vertical synchronization signalVsync, a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signalDE, a clock signal CLK, and image data RGB from the outside. The timingcontroller 140 may control the operation timings of the scan driver 120,the data driver 130, and the control driver 160 by using timing signalssuch as a vertical synchronization signal Vsync, a horizontalsynchronization signal Hsync, a data enable signal DE, and a clocksignal CLK. The timing controller 140 may determine the frame period bycounting the data enable signal DE of one horizontal scanning period,and in this case, the vertical synchronization signal Vsync and thehorizontal synchronization signal Hsync supplied from the outside may beomitted. The image data (RGB) includes luminance information of thepixels PX. The luminance is a predetermined gray number of, e.g., 1024(=2¹⁰), 256 (=2⁸), or 64 (=2⁶).

The timing controller 140 may generate control signals including a firstgate timing control signal GDC1 for controlling the operation timing ofthe scan driver 120, a data timing control signal DDC for controllingthe operation timing of the data driver 130, and a second gate timingcontrol signal GDC2 for controlling the operation timing of the controldriver 160.

The first gate timing control signal GDC1 may include a gate start pulseGSP, a gate shift clock GSC, and a gate output enable signal GOE. Thegate start pulse GSP is supplied to the scan driver 120 generating thefirst scan signal at the start of the scan period. The gate shift clockGSC is a clock signal commonly input to the scan driver 120, and is aclock signal for shifting the gate start pulse GSP. The gate outputenable GOE signal controls the output of the scan driver 120.

The data timing control signal DDC may include a source start pulse SSP,a source sampling clock SSC, and a source output enable SOE signal. Thesource start pulse SSP controls the data sampling start time of the datadriver 130 and is provided to the data driver 130 at the start time ofthe scan period. The source sampling clock SSC is a clock signal forcontrolling the sampling operation of data in the data driver 130 on thebasis of a rising or falling edge. The source output enable signal SOEmay control the output of the data driver 130. The source start pulseSSP supplied to the data driver 130 may be omitted depending on a datatransmission method.

The second gate timing control signal GDC2 may be provided to thecontrol driver 160 to distinguish a plurality of periods in each frameperiod.

The scan driver 120 may generate the scan signals S1 to Sn in responseto the first gate timing control signal GDC1 supplied from the timingcontroller 140 by using the turn-on voltage Von and the turn-off voltageVoff provided from the voltage generator 150. The scan driver 120 mayprovide the scan signals S1 to Sn to the pixels PX through the scanlines SL1 to SLn. According to an embodiment, the scan driver 120 mayapply the turn-on voltage Von to the scan lines SL1 to SLn during thethird initialization period and the compensation period. The scan driver120 may sequentially apply the turn-on voltage Von to the scan lines SL1to SLn during the data writing period. The scan driver 120 may apply theturn-off voltage Voff to the scan lines SL1 to SLn during the remainingperiod.

The data driver 130 may sample and latch the digital data signal RGBsupplied from the timing controller 140 in response to the data timingcontrol signal DDC supplied from the timing controller 140 to convertthe digital data signal RGB into data of a parallel data system. Whenthe data driver 130 converts the digital data signal RGB into the dataof the parallel data system, the data driver 130 converts the digitaldata signal RGB into a gamma reference voltage and converts the gammareference voltage into an analog data voltage. The data driver 130provides the data voltage Vdata to the pixels PX of the display unit 110through the data lines DL1 to DLm. The pixels PX may receive the datavoltage Vdata in response to the scanning signal S. Further, the datadriver 130 provides the reference voltage Vref to the pixels PX of thedisplay unit 110 through the data lines DL1 to DLm.

The data driver 130 may output the reference voltage Vref to the datalines DL1 to DLm according to the data timing control signal DDC duringat least a part of the period. The data driver 130 may output differentdata voltages Vdata to the data lines DL1 to DLm according to the datasignals RGB during the data writing period. The data driver 130 mayoutput the same reference voltage Vref to the data lines DL1 to DLmduring a certain period.

The control driver 160 drives the first and second power supply linesPL1 and PL2 and the control line CL in response to the second gatetiming control signal GDC2 supplied from the timing controller 140 byusing voltages having different levels and provided from the voltagegenerator 150. For example, the control driver 160 may drive the firstpower supply line PL1 using the first level voltage PV1_h and the secondlevel voltage PV1_l, may drive the second power supply line PL2 usingthe third level voltage PV2_h and the fourth level voltage PV2_l, andmay drive the control line CL using the turn-on voltage Von and theturn-off voltage Voff.

According to an embodiment, the control driver 160 may apply the secondlevel voltage PV1_l to the first power supply line PL1 during the firstto third initialization periods, and may apply the first level voltagePV1_h to the first power supply line PL1 during the remaining period.The control driver 160 may apply the third level voltage PV2_h to thesecond power supply line PL2 during the non-light emission period, andmay apply the fourth level voltage PV2_l to the second power supply linePL2 during the light emission period. However, this is illustrative, andthe control driver 160 may apply voltages of different levels to thefirst and second power supply lines PL1 and PL2 in response to thesecond gate timing control signal GDC2. The control driver 160 may applythe turn-on voltage Von to the control line CL during the second andthird initialization periods and the compensation period, and may applythe turn-off voltage Voff to the control line CL during the remainingperiod.

Although it is described in the present embodiment that the controldriver 160 drives both the first and second power supply lines PL1 andPL2 and the control line CL, the control driver 160 may be divided intoa first control driver for driving the control line CL and a secondcontrol driver for driving the first and second power supply lines PL1and PL2. According to another embodiment, the first and second powersupply lines PL1 and PL2 may be directly driven by the voltage generator150, and the control line CL may be driven by the scan driver 120. Inthe present specification, the control driver 160 integrally refers to acomponent driving the first and second power supply lines PL1 and PL2and a component driving the control line CL.

In the present specification, the component driving or controlling thefirst and second power supply lines PL1 and PL2, the data line DL, thescanning line SL, and the control line CL is referred to as a controlleror a driver. The controller or the driver may include at least one ofthe scan driver 120, the data driver 130, the timing controller 140, thevoltage generator 150, and the control driver 160. For example, thecontroller or the driver may collectively refer to the scan driver 120,the data driver 130, and the control driver 160.

The organic light emitting display device 100, which is a device fordisplaying an image, may be a portable device including ahigh-resolution display unit, for example, a smart phone or ahead-mounted display. The organic light emitting display device 100 maybe a television or a monitor having a large screen. The organic lightemitting display device 100 according to the present embodiment may beused to implement an ultra-high resolution display panel having aresolution of about 1200 ppi (pixels per inch), for example, about 1600ppi.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a pixel according to an embodiment.Referring to FIG. 2, a pixel PXij includes a light emitting elementOLED, first to third transistors M1 to M3, and first and secondcapacitors Cst and Cpr. The pixel PXij has first to third nodes N1 toN3. The pixel PXij is connected to a scanning line SLi located in thesame row among the scanning lines SL1 to SLn and receives a scanningsignal Si from the scanning driver 120. The pixel PXij is connected to adata line DLj located in the same column among the data lines DL1 to DLmand receives a data signal Dj from the data driver 130. The pixel PXijis connected to the control line CL and the first and second powersupply lines PL1 and PL2, and receives the control signal GC and thefirst and second power supply voltages PV1 and PV2 from the controldriver 160.

The first transistor M1 may operate as a driving transistor forcontrolling a current flowing through the organic light emitting elementOLED. The first transistor M1 may be referred to as a drivingtransistor. The second transistor M2 and the third transistor M3 may beturned on or turned off according to the voltage applied to the gateelectrode, i.e., a gate voltage, thereby performing a switchingfunction. The second and third transistors M2 and M3 may be referred toas first and second switching elements, or as first and second switchingtransistors, respectively.

Although the first to third transistors M1 to M3 are shown as beingp-type MOSFETs, this is illustrative, and at least one of the first tothird transistors M1-M3 may be a different conductive type (n-type)transistor. According to an embodiment, the first transistor M1 may bean n-type MOSFET. In this case, the anode of the light emitting elementOLED may be connected to the second power supply line PL2, and thecathode thereof may be connected to the first transistor M1. Further,the voltage level applied to the second power supply line PL2 when thelight emitting element OLED emits light may be higher than the voltagelevel applied to the first power supply line PL1. According to anotherembodiment, the second and third transistors M2 and M3 may be n-typeMOSFETs. According to still another embodiment, the first to thirdtransistors M1 to M3 may all be n-type MOSFETs.

The light emitting element OLED may be connected between the first powersupply line PL1 and the second power supply line PL2. The light emittingelement OLED may be connected to the first power supply line PL1 throughthe first transistor M1. The light emitting element OLED may be anorganic light emitting diode. The light emitting element OLED may be anorganic light emitting diode having an anode connected to the third nodeN3 and a cathode connected to the second power supply line PL2.

The first transistor M1 may be a driving transistor for controlling thecurrent flowing from the first power supply line PL1 to the second powersupply line PL2 through the light emitting element OLED according to thevoltage of the first node N1. The first transistor M1 may have a gateelectrode connected to the first node N1 and may be connected betweenthe first power supply line PL1 and the third node N3. For example, thefirst transistor M1 may have a source electrode connected to the firstpower supply line PL1 and a drain electrode connected to the third nodeN3. The current controlled by the first transistor M1 is supplied to thelight emitting element OLED during the light emitting period, and thelight emitting element OLED emits light with a luminance correspondingto the intensity of the current.

The second transistor M2 may be a first switching element connectedbetween the first node N1 and the second node N2 to connect ordisconnect the first node N1 and the second node N2. The secondtransistor M2 may be controlled by a scan signal Si provided from thescan line SLi. The second transistor M2 may have a gate electrodeconnected to the scan line SLi, a first electrode connected to the firstnode N1, and a second electrode connected to the second node N2. Whenthe turn-on voltage Von is applied to the gate electrode of the secondtransistor M2 through the scan line SLi, the second transistor M2 may beturned on to connect the first node N1 and the second node N2 to eachother. When the turn-off voltage Voff is applied to the gate electrodeof the second transistor M2, the second transistor M2 may be turned offto isolate the first node N1 and the second node N2 from each other.

The third transistor M3 may be a second switching element connectedbetween the second node N2 and the third node N3 to connect ordisconnect the second node N2 and the third node N3. The thirdtransistor M3 may be controlled by a control signal GC provided from thecontrol line CL. The third transistor M3 may have a gate electrodeconnected to the control line CL, a first electrode connected to thesecond node N2, and a second electrode connected to the third node N3.When the turn-on voltage Von is applied to the gate electrode of thethird transistor M3 through the control line CL, the third transistor M3may be turned on to connect the second node N2 and the third node N3 toeach other. When the turn-off voltage Voff is applied to the gateelectrode of the third transistor M3, the third transistor M3 may beturned off to isolate the second node N2 and the third node N3 from eachother.

The first capacitor Cst may be connected between the first power supplyline PL1 and the first node N1. The first capacitor Cst may be connectedbetween the gate electrode and the source electrode of the firsttransistor M1. The first capacitor Cst may maintain the gate voltage ofthe first transistor M1 during the light emitting period. Since thevoltage between the gate electrode and the source electrode of the firsttransistor M1 is kept constant by the first capacitor Cst even if thevoltage level of the first power supply line PL1 fluctuates, the currentoutput from the first transistor M1 may be constant. Although thevoltage level of the first power supply line PL1 may be loweredaccording to the amount of current consumed by the pixels PX of thedisplay unit 110, the first capacitor Cst maintains a constant voltagebetween the gate electrode and the source electrode of the firsttransistor M1, so that the luminance of the light emitted by the lightemitting element OLED may be kept constant. Accordingly, the brightnessuniformity of the display unit 110 can be increased.

The second capacitor Cpr may be connected between the data line DLj andthe second node N2. The data voltage Vdata of the data signal Djtransmitted through the data line DLj may be transmitted to the firstnode N1 through the second capacitor Cpr and the second transistor M2.The capacitance of the second capacitor Cpr may be larger than that ofthe first capacitor Cst. For example, the capacitance of the secondcapacitor Cpr may be about two to three times the capacitance of thefirst capacitor Cst.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart for driving the pixel of FIG. 2 during oneframe period. Referring to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 2, first and secondpower supply voltages PV1 and PV2, a control signal GC, first to nthscan signals S1 to Sn, and a data signal Dj are shown. One frame periodincludes a plurality of periods. The plurality of periods may includefirst to seventh periods T1 to T7. The first to seventh periods T1 to T7may be sequential. However, according to some embodiments, some periods(for example, third and fourth periods T3 and T4) of the first toseventh periods T1 to T7 may be repeated a plurality of times. Further,the first to seventh periods T1 to T7 do not proceed continuously, andother periods may be further included. For example, a period duringwhich the third transistor M3 is turned off by the control line CL maybe included between the fifth period T5 and the sixth period T6.

The first period T1 may be referred to as a light-off period T1. Thesecond to fourth periods T2 to T4 may be referred to as first to thirdinitialization periods. The fifth period T5 may be referred to as acompensation period. The sixth period T6 may be referred to as a datawriting period. The seventh period T7 may be referred to as a lightemission period. The first to sixth periods T1 to T6 may be included inthe non-light emission period during which the light emitting elementOLED does not emit light, and the seventh period T7 may be included inthe light emission period during which the light emitting element OLEDemits light.

The control driver 160 shown in FIG. 1 applies the first and secondpower supply voltages PV1 and PV2 to the first and second power supplylines PL1 and PL2 as shown in FIG. 3. Further, the control driver 160outputs the control signal GC to the control line CL as shown in FIG. 3.The scan driver 120 outputs the first to nth scan signals S1 to Sn tothe first to nth scan lines SL1 to SLn as shown in FIG. 3. The datadriver 130 outputs the reference voltage Vref and the data voltage Vdataas the data signal Dj to the data line DLj according to the data timingcontrol signal DDC as shown in FIG. 3.

The control driver 160 may apply the first level voltage PV1_h to thefirst power supply line PL1 during the first, fifth, sixth, and seventhperiods T1 and T5 to T7, and may apply the second level voltage PV1_l tothe first power supply line PL1 during the second to fourth periods T2to T4. The second level voltage PV1_l may be lower than the first levelvoltage PV1_h. Alternatively, when the first transistor M1 is an n-typeMOSFET, the second level voltage PV1_l may be higher than the firstlevel voltage PV1_h.

The control driver 160 may apply the third level voltage PV2_h to thesecond power supply line PL2 during the first to sixth periods T1 to T6,and may apply the fourth level voltage PV2_l to the second power supplyline PL2 during the seventh period T7. The fourth level voltage PV2_lmay be lower than the third level voltage PV2_h. Alternatively, when thefirst transistor M1 is an n-type MOSFET, the fourth level voltage PV2_lmay be higher than the third level voltage PV2_h.

The control driver 160 may output a turn-off voltage Voff for turningoff the third transistor M3 during the first, second, sixth, and seventhperiods T1, T2, T6, and T7 to the control line CL, and may output aturn-on voltage Von for turning on the third transistor M3 during thethird to fifth periods T3 to T5 to the control line CL.

The scan driver 120 may output a turn-off voltage Voff for turning offthe second transistor M2 during the first, second, third, and seventhperiods T1 to T3 and T7 to the scan line SLi, and may output a turn-onvoltage Von for turning on the second transistor M2 during the fourthand fifth periods T4 and T5 to the scan line SLi. The scan driver 120may temporarily output a pulse-like turn-on voltage Von insynchronization with the data voltage Vdata output to the data line DLjduring the sixth period T6. The scan driver 120 may sequentially applythe pulse-like turn-on voltage Von to the scan lines SL1 to SLn duringthe sixth period T6. The scan driver 120 may apply a turn-off voltageVoff to the scan lines SL1 to SLn during the time when the turn-onvoltage Von is not applied to the scan lines SL1 to SLn during the sixthperiod T6.

The data driver 130 may output the data voltage Vdata to the data lineDLj in synchronization with the pulse-like turn-on voltage Vonsequentially applied to the scan lines SL1 to SLn. For example, when theturn-on voltage Von is applied to the scan lines SL1 to SLn and theturn-off voltage Voff is applied thereto, e.g., when the scan signals S1to Sn have rising edges, the data driver 130 may be in a state ofoutputting the data voltage Vdata to the data line DLj. Here, the datavoltage Vdata refers to a data voltage received by the pixel PXij.

The data driver 130 may apply the data voltage Vdata to the data lineDLj during the sixth period T6, and may apply the reference voltage Vrefduring at least the fourth and fifth periods T4 and T5. Here, the datavoltage Vdata includes the data voltage received by the pixel PXij, andcollectively refers to the data voltages respectively received by theplurality of pixels PX connected to the data line DLj. The data line DLjmay be in a high-impedance state when the data voltage Vdata or thereference voltage Vref is not applied. According to another embodiment,as shown in FIG. 3, the data driver 130 may apply the data voltage Vdatato the data line DLj during the sixth period T6, and may apply thereference voltage Vref to the data line DLj during the first to fifthand seventh periods T1 to T5 and T7.

During the seventh period T7, i.e, the light emission period, the firstlevel voltage PV1_h is applied to the first power supply line PL1, andthe fourth level voltage PV2_l is applied to the second power supplyline PL2_l. Further, the second and third transistors M2 and M3 areturned off, so that the first node N1 and the second node N2 areelectrically isolated from each other and the second node N2 and thethird node N3 are electrically isolated from each other. When the firsttransistor M1 is a p-type MOSFET as shown in FIG. 2, the first levelvoltage PV1_l may be higher than the fourth level voltage PV2_l. Thefirst transistor M1 can control the amount of a current flowing from thefirst power supply line PL1 to the second power supply line PL2 throughthe light emitting element OLED according to the gate voltage, that is,the voltage of the first node N1. Here, the current flowing through thelight emitting element OLED may be referred to as a driving currentoutput from the first transistor M1.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that the first transistor M1 is a p-typeMOSFET. However, when the first transistor M1 is an n-type MOSFET, thetiming chart of FIG. 3 may be modified within the scope of the presentdisclosure and applied with the same principle.

When the first period T1, i.e., the light-off period, starts, the thirdlevel voltage PV2_h is applied to the second power supply line PL2. Thethird level voltage PV2_h may be continuously applied to the secondpower supply line PL2 from the start of the first period T1 until theend of the sixth period T6. During the first period T1 following theseventh period T7, the first level voltage PV1_h is applied to the firstpower supply line PL1, and the second and third transistors M2 and M3are maintained in the turned-off state. The third level voltage PV2_happlied to the second power supply line PL2 may be substantially thesame level as the first level voltage PV1_h applied to the first powersupply line PL1. For example, the difference between the third levelvoltage PV2_h and the first level voltage PV1_h may be smaller than thethreshold voltage of the light emitting element OLED. Accordingly,substantially no current may flow between the first power supply linePL1 and the second power supply line PL2, and the light emitting elementOLED may not emit light any more.

According to another embodiment, the level of the third level voltagePV2_h may be higher than the level of the first level voltage PV1_h.Further, the voltage level of the third node N3 is raised by the lightemitting element capacitor Coled by a second voltage difference(referred to as “ΔV2”) between the third level voltage PV2_h and thefourth level voltage PV2_l. The second voltage difference ΔV2 is definedas an absolute value of a voltage difference between the third levelvoltage PV2_h and the fourth level voltage PV2_l. Since the lightemitting element OLED functions not only as a light emitting diode, butalso as a capacitor having a capacitance, the light emitting elementOLED may be modeled as a light emitting diode and a light emittingelement capacitor Coled connected in parallel with each other. The lightemitting element capacitor Coled indicates a capacitance component ofthe light emitting element OLED.

When the second period T2, i.e., the first initiation period, starts thesecond level voltage PV1_l is applied to the first power supply linePL1. The second level voltage PV1_l may be continuously applied to thefirst power supply line PL1 from the start of the second period T2 untilthe end of the fourth period T4. During the second period T2 followingthe first period T1, the third level voltage PV2_h is applied to thesecond power supply line PL2, and the second and third transistors M2and M3 are maintained in the turned-off state. The level of the secondlevel voltage PV1_l applied to the first power supply line PL1 may belower than the level of the third level voltage PV2_h applied to thesecond power supply line PL2.

As the voltage level of the first power supply line PL1 is lowered by afirst voltage difference (referred to as “ΔV1”) between the first levelvoltage PV1_h and the second level voltage PV1_l, the voltage level ofthe first node N1 is also lowered by the first voltage difference ΔV1 bythe first capacitor Cst between the first power supply line PL1 and thefirst node N1. The first voltage difference ΔV1 is defined as anabsolute value of a voltage difference between the first level voltagePV1_h and the second level voltage PV1_l. Accordingly, the firsttransistor M1 is turned on and current flows from the third node N3 tothe first power supply line PL1, i.e., in a reverse direction. Since thevoltage level of the first node N1 lowered by the first voltagedifference ΔV1 is sufficiently lower than the voltage level of the thirdnode N3 raised by the second voltage difference ΔV2, the firsttransistor M1 is fully turned on. Since the first transistor M1 is fullyturned on in the reverse direction, hysteresis characteristics, in whichthe intensity of the driving current output from the first transistor M1in the previous frame affects the intensity of the driving currentoutput from the first transistor M1 in the current frame, may be reducedor eliminated.

Further, the voltage level of the third node N3 is lowered toapproximately the level of the second level voltage PV1_l. Specifically,if the first transistor M1 is turned on during the light emission periodof the previous frame, a current can flow through the first transistorM1 until the voltage level of the third node N3 is lowered to the levelof the second level voltage PV1_l, so that the voltage level of thethird node N3 becomes equal to the level of the second level voltagePV1_l. If the first transistor M1 is turned off and the light emittingelement OLED does not emit light during the light emission period of theprevious frame, the first transistor M1 is turned on in the reversedirection due to the voltage level of the third node N3 which is raisedby the second voltage difference ΔV2, but the first transistor M1 isturned off before the voltage level of the third node N3 is lowered tothe level of the second level voltage PV1_l. The voltage level of thethird node N3 may be slightly higher than the level of the second levelvoltage PV1_l. Therefore, the voltage level of the third node N3 becomeslower than the third level voltage PV2_h applied to the second powersupply line PL2 during the second period T2, so that the third node N3is initialized, and the hysteresis characteristics of the transistor M1can be reduced or eliminated.

When the third period T3, i.e., the second initialization period,starts, the third transistor M3 is turned on. The third transistor M3may be turned on from the start of the third period T3 to the end of thefifth period T5. During the third period T3 following the second periodT2, the second level voltage PV1_l is applied to the first power supplyline PL1, the third level voltage PV2_h is applied to the second powersupply line PL2, and the second transistor M2 is maintained in theturned-off state.

When the third transistor M3 is turned on, the second node N2 and thethird node N3 are connected to each other, and the voltage level of thesecond node N2 becomes equal to the voltage level of the third node N3.The voltage level of the second node N2 is also lowered to about thelevel of the second level voltage PV1_l applied to the first powersupply line PL1 by the first transistor M1 turned on in the reversedirection. Since the voltage level of the second node N2 is loweredduring the third period T3, the second node N2 may be initialized.

When the fourth period T4, i.e., the third initialization period,starts, the second transistor M2 is turned on. The second transistor M2may be turned on from the start of the fourth period T4 to the end ofthe fifth period T5. During the fourth period T4 following the thirdperiod T3, the second level voltage PV1_l is applied to the first powersupply line PL1, the third level voltage PV2_h is applied to the secondpower supply line PL2, and the third transistor M3 is maintained in theturned-on state.

When the second transistor M2 is turned on, the first node N1 and thesecond node N2 are connected to each other, so that charges may beshared between the first capacitor Cst and the second capacitor Cpr.When the voltage of the first node N1 after the sharing of chargesbetween the first capacitor Cst and the second capacitor Cpr is lowerthan the voltage (PV1_l−|Vth|) obtained by subtracting a thresholdvoltage (|Vth|) from the second level voltage PV1_l of the first powersupply line PL1, the first transistor M1 is turned on. Since the gateelectrode and the source electrode of the first transistor M1 areconnected by the second and third transistors M2 and M3 in the turned-onstate, the first transistor M1 is diode-connected, and the voltage ofthe first node N1 becomes equal to the voltage (PV1_l−|Vth|) obtained bysubtracting the threshold voltage (|Vth|) from the second level voltagePV1_l. When the voltage of the first node N1 after the sharing ofcharges between the first capacitor Cst and the second capacitor Cpr isnot lower than the voltage (PV1_l−|Vth|) obtained by subtracting athreshold voltage (|Vth|) from the second level voltage PV1_l of thefirst power supply line PL1, the first transistor M1 is not turned on.Even in this case, the voltage of the first node N1 may be lower thanthe second level voltage PV1_l of the first power supply line PL1. Thethreshold voltage (|Vth|) means an absolute value of the thresholdvoltage of the first transistor M1, and the threshold voltages |Vth| ofthe first transistor M1 may be different from each other for each of thepixels PX for reasons such as manufacturing tolerances and the like.

Since the voltage of the first node N1 becomes equal to the voltage ofthe second and third nodes N2 and N3, such that the voltage level of thefirst node N1 becomes lower than the voltage of the second level voltagePV1_l during the fourth period, the first node N1 may be initialized.

The reference voltage Vref may be applied to the data line DLj at leastbefore the end of the fourth period T4. The reference voltage Vref maybe applied to the data line DLj from the start of the fourth period T4.According to another embodiment, the reference voltage Vref may beapplied to the data line DLj from the start of the light emission periodof the previous frame.

The reference voltage Vref may be applied to the data line DLj duringthe fifth period T5 until the voltage of the first node N1 becomessubstantially equal to the voltage (PV1_h−|Vth|) obtained by subtractingthe threshold voltage (|Vth|) from the first level voltage PV1_h. Thereference voltage Vref may be applied to the data line DLj until the endof the fifth period T5.

When the fifth period T5, i.e., the compensation period, starts, thefirst level voltage PV1_h is applied to the first power supply line PL1.The first level voltage PV1_h may be continuously applied to the firstpower supply line PL1 from the start of the fourth period T4 to the endof the first period T1 of the next frame. During the fifth period T5following the fourth period T4, the third level voltage PV2_h is appliedto the second power supply line PL2, and the second and thirdtransistors M2 and M3 are maintained in the turned-on state. The firstlevel voltage PV1_h applied to the first power supply line PL1 may besubstantially equal to the third level voltage PV2_h applied to thesecond power supply line PL2. The voltage difference between the firstlevel voltage PV1_h and the third level voltage PV2_h may be lower thanthe threshold voltage of the light emitting element OLED. The referencevoltage Vref may be applied to the data line DLj during the fifth periodT5.

As the voltage level of the first power supply line PL1 is increased bythe first voltage difference (referred to as “ΔV1”) between the firstlevel voltage PV1_h and the second level voltage PV1_l, the voltagelevel of the first node N1 is also increased by the first capacitor Cstconnected between the first power supply line PL1 and the first node N1.However, since the first node N1 is connected to the second capacitorCpr through the second node N2 and is connected to the light emittingelement capacitor Coled through the third node N3, the voltage level ofthe first node N1 becomes lower than the first voltage difference ΔV1.For example, the voltage of the first node N1 may be increased by avalue obtained by multiplying the ratio of capacitance of the firstcapacitor Cst to the sum of capacitances of the first capacitor Cst, thesecond capacitor Cpr, and the light emitting element capacitor Coled bythe first voltage difference ΔV1.

Since the sum of the capacitances of the second capacitor Cpr and thelight emitting element capacitor Coled is greater than the capacitanceof the first capacitor Cst, the voltage of the first node N1 may becomesignificantly lower than the voltage (PV1_h−|Vth|) obtained bysubtracting the threshold voltage (|Vth|) from the first level voltagePV1_h. Accordingly, the first transistor M1 may be fully turned on, anda current may flow from the first power supply line PL1 to the thirdnode N3, i.e., in a forward direction. Since the first transistor M1having been fully turned on in the reverse direction during the secondperiod T2 is fully turned on in the forward direction during the fifthperiod T5, the hysteresis characteristics of the first transistor M1 canbe reduced or eliminated.

Since the gate electrode and the source electrode of the firsttransistor M1 in the turned-on state are connected by the second andthird transistors M2 and M3 in the turned-on state, the first transistorM1 is diode-connected, and the voltage of the first node N1 becomesequal to the voltage obtained by subtracting the threshold voltage(|Vth|) from the first level voltage PV1_h. Accordingly, chargescorresponding to the threshold voltage (|Vth|) may be stored betweenboth electrodes of the first capacitor Cst. Charges corresponding to thethreshold voltage (|Vth|) is stored between both electrodes of the firstcapacitor Cst in order to compensate the threshold voltage (|Vth|) ofthe first transistor M1 during the fifth period T5.

The voltage of the second node N2 also becomes equal to the voltage(PV1_h−|Vth|) obtained by subtracting the threshold voltage (|Vth|) fromthe first level voltage PV1_h. Since the reference voltage Vref isapplied to the data line DLj, the charges corresponding toVref−PV1_h+|Vth| may be stored between both electrodes of the secondcapacitor Cpr.

The voltage of the third node N2 also becomes equal to the voltage(PV1_h−|Vth|) obtained by subtracting the threshold voltage (|Vth|) fromthe first level voltage PV1_h. At this time, the voltage of the thirdnode N3 may be lower than the third level voltage PV2_h of the secondpower supply line PL2.

The fifth period T5 may be finished while the second transistor M2 isturned off. The third transistor M3 may be turned off before the sixthsection T6 starts after the second transistor M2 is turned off.According to another embodiment, the second transistor M2 and the thirdtransistor M3 may be turned off at the end of the fifth period T5.According to still another embodiment, the third transistor T3 may beturned off at the end of the fifth period T5, only the secondtransistors T2 of the pixels PX connected to the second to the nthscanning lines SL2 to SLn may be turned off, and the second transistorT2 of the pixel PX connected to the first scanning line SL1 may bemaintained in the turned-on state, e.g., the sixth period T6 wouldimmediately follow the fifth period T5.

During the sixth period T6, i.e., the data writing period, following thefifth period T5, the first level voltage PV1_h is applied to the firstpower supply line PL1, the third level voltage PV2_h is applied to thesecond power supply line PL2, and the third transistor M3 is maintainedin the turned-off state. A pulse-like turn on voltage Von may be appliedto the scan lines SL1 to SLn in a preset order over the sixth period T6.The data voltage Vdata may be applied to the data line DLj insynchronization with the pulse-like turn on voltage Von applied to thescan lines SL1 to SLn in the preset order. Here, the data voltage Vdatarefers to data voltages respectively received by the plurality of pixelsPX connected to the data line DLj.

The second transistor M2 of the pixel PXij is turned on in response tothe scan signal Si transmitted through the ith scan line Sli, i.e., whenthe turn-on voltage Von is applied to the ith scan line SLi. A datavoltage Vdata corresponding to the pixel PXij may be applied to the dataline DLj. The data voltage Vdata refers to a data voltage received bythe pixel PXij among the plurality of pixels PX connected to the dataline DLj.

The second node N2 is connected to the first node N1 through the secondtransistor M2 in the turned-on state, and is electrically isolated fromthe third node N3 by the third transistor M3 in the turned-off state.Since the second node N2 is connected with the first node N1, thevoltage fluctuation of the data line DLj causes the voltage fluctuationof the first node N1 through the charge sharing of the first and secondcapacitors Cst and Cpr.

When the reference voltage Vref is applied to the data line DLj, chargescorresponding to Vref−PV1_h+|Vth| are stored in both electrodes of thesecond capacitor Cpr, and charges corresponding to the threshold voltage(|Vth|) are stored in both electrodes of the first capacitor Cst. Inthis state, when the data voltage Vdata is applied to the data line DLj,the voltage of the first node N1 may vary by a value proportional to thedifference between the data voltage Vdata and the reference voltageVref. For example, the voltage of the first node N1 may vary byCst/(Cst+Cpr)*(Vdata−Vref). Since the voltage of the first node N1 isPV1_h−|Vth| in the fifth period T5, when the pixel Pxij receives thedata voltage Vdata, the voltage of the first node N1 may bePV1_h−|Vth|+Cst/(Cst+Cpr)*(Vdata−Vref).

Each data voltage Vdata may be written into the first node N1 of theplurality of pixels PX connected to the data line DLj in this manner.When the sixth period T6 is finished, the second transistor M2 of allthe pixels PX is turned off.

When the seventh period T7, i.e., the light emission period, starts, thefourth level voltage PV2_l is applied to the second power supply linePL2. The fourth level voltage PV2_l may be applied to the second powersupply line PL2 continuously from the start of the seventh period T7until the start of the first period T1 of the next frame. During theseventh period T7, the first level voltage PV1_h is applied to the firstpower supply line PL1, and the second and third transistors M2 and M3are maintained in the turned-off state.

The first transistor M1 outputs a driving current according to the gatevoltage, that is, the voltage of the first node N1. The first transistorM1 may output a driving current proportional to square of the valueobtained by subtracting the threshold voltage (|Vth|) from thesource-gate voltage of the first transistor M1. Since the sourceelectrode of the first transistor M1 is connected to the first powersupply line PL1, the source voltage of the first transistor M1 is equalto the first level voltage PV1_h. Accordingly, the first transistor M1may output a driving current proportional to the square ofCst/(Cst+Cpr)*(Vdata−Vref). Since the driving current is determinedregardless of the level of the first level voltage PV1_h and the levelof the threshold voltage (|Vth|), the pixels PX of the display unit 110may emit light of uniform luminance.

For example, in each of the pixels PX, the threshold voltages (|Vth|) ofthe first transistor M1 may be different from each other due to aprocess error or the like. However, according to the present embodiment,the deviation of the threshold voltage (|Vth|) is not reflected in theintensity of the driving current, so that the deviation of the thresholdvoltage (|Vth|) may be compensated. Further, when the pixels PXconnected to the first power supply line PL1 consume a large amount ofcurrent, a voltage lower than the target level of the first levelvoltage PV1_h may be transmitted to the pixels PX connected to the endof the first power supply line PL1. However, according to the presentembodiment, the level of the voltage transmitted through the first powersupply line PL1 is not reflected in the intensity of the drivingcurrent, so that the organic light emitting display device 100 accordingto the present embodiment may have a uniform display quality.

According to a comparative example, a pixel may be connected to aninitialization voltage line to which an initialization voltage Vinithaving a plurality of levels is transmitted, and a first capacitor maybe connected between the initialization voltage line and the gateelectrode of the driving transistor. The turn-on and turn-off operationsof the driving transistor may be more freely controlled by adjusting thelevel of the initialization voltage Vinit. However, in order to drivethe pixel, the initialization voltage line is required to be in thedisplay unit and another driving circuit for driving the initializationvoltage line is further required. According to the present embodiment,since the initialization voltage line is not included, the size of thepixel PX, i.e., the area of the pixel PX can be further reduced, so thata larger number of pixels PX can be arranged in the same space. Inaddition, according to the present embodiment, another driving circuitfor driving the initializing voltage line is not required, so that themanufacturing cost and the maintenance cost can be reduced.

The pixel PX according to an embodiment, although it includes only threetransistors, can initialize the first transistor M1 to remove hysteresischaracteristic, can compensate the threshold voltage Vth of the firsttransistor M1, and can insure the organic light emitting diode (OLED)fully emits light. Therefore, the organic light emitting display device100 including the plurality of pixels PX may be manufactured to have anultra-high resolution of 1200 ppi or higher, for example, approximately1600 ppi, so that a video image with a clearer image quality can bedisplayed. In particular, the organic light emitting display device 100may be useful when the viewer's eyes and a screen are very close to eachother, e.g., a head-mounted display. The organic light emitting displaydevice 100 may be implemented as a head-mounted display.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart for driving the pixel of FIG. 2 according toanother embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, first and second power supplyvoltages PV1 and PV2, a control signal GC, first to nth scan signals S1to Sn, and a data signal Dj are shown.

Referring to the timing chart shown in FIG. 4, the third period T3 andthe fourth period T4 shown in FIG. 3 may be repeated a plurality oftimes. That is, after the second period T2, the third period T3 a andthe fourth period T4 a proceed, and the third period T3 b and the fourthperiod T4 b may proceed again. When the fourth period T4 b is finished,the fifth to seventh periods T5 to T7 may be sequential as in the timingchart shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the voltage level of the first node N1 canbe more reliably lowered than the second level voltage PV1_l.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a head-mounted display, which is anexample of a display device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a usestate view of the head-mounted display of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partialexploded perspective view of the head-mounted display of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a head-mounted display 200 is a device wornon the head of a user. The head-mounted display 200 may include a case210, a strap unit 220, and a cushion unit 230. The head-mounted display200 may include or be coupled with a display panel according to variousembodiments of the present disclosure.

The case 210 may be worn on the head of a user USER. A display panelaccording to an embodiment and an acceleration sensor may beaccommodated inside the case 210. The acceleration sensor may sense themotion of the user USER and may transmit a predetermined signal to thedisplay panel. Accordingly, the display panel may provide an imagecorresponding to a change in the line of sight of the user USER.Therefore, the user USER can experience a virtual reality like an actualreality.

In addition to the display panel and the acceleration sensor, componentshaving various functions may be accommodated in the case 210. Forexample, a proximity sensor for determining whether a user USER wearsthe case 210 may be accommodated in the case 210. Further, an operationunit (not shown) for adjusting a volume, screen brightness, or the likemay be additionally disposed outside the case 210. The operation unitmay be provided as a physical button, or may be provided in the form ofa touch sensor or the like.

The strap unit 220 may be coupled with the case 210 to allow the userUSER to easily wear the head-mounted display 200. The strap unit 220 mayinclude a main strap 221 and an upper strap 222.

The main strap 221 may be worn along the periphery of the head of theuser USER. The main strap 221 may fix the case 210 to the user such thatthe case 210 is be brought into close contact with the head of the userUSER. The upper strap 222 may connect the case 210 and the main strap221 along the upper portion of the head of the user USER. The upperstrap 222 can prevent the case 210 from sliding down. The upper strap222 can further improve the fitness of the user USER by dispersing theload of the case 210.

Although it is shown in FIG. 5 that each of the main strap 221 and theupper strap 222 has a length adjustable portion, the present disclosureis not limited thereto. For example, according to another embodiment,each of the main strap 221 and the upper strap 222 has elasticity, andthus the length adjustable portion may be omitted.

If the case 210 may be fixed to the user USER, the strap unit 220 may bemodified into various forms in addition to those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.For example, according to another embodiment, the upper strap 222 may beomitted. According to still another embodiment, the strap unit 220 maybe modified into various shapes such as a helmet coupled with the case210 and a pair of glass legs coupled with the case 210.

The cushion unit 230 may be between the case 210 and the head of theuser USER. The cushion unit 230 may be made of a material that is freelydeformable in shape. For example, the cushion unit 230 may include apolymer resin (e.g., polyurethane, polycarbonate, polypropylene, orpolyethylene) or may be formed of a sponge obtained by foam-molding arubber liquid, a urethane-based material or an acrylic-based material.However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The cushion unit 230 allows the case 210 to be brought into closecontact with the user, thereby improving the fitness of the user USER.The cushion unit 230 may be detached from the case 210. According toanother embodiment, the cushion unit 230 may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7, the case 210 may be separated into a body 211 and alid 212. a mounting space DPS for mounting a display panel DP isprovided between the body 211 and the lid 212, and the lid may cover themounting space DPS. Although it is illustratively shown in FIG. 7 thatthe body 211 and the lid 212 are separated from each other,alternatively, the body 211 and the lid 212 may be provided integrally.

The display panel DP may be in the mounting space DPS between the body211 and the lid 212. The display panel DP may include pixels PX eachhaving the pixel circuit shown in FIG. 2, and the pixels PX may becontrolled or driven in accordance with the timing chart shown in FIG. 3or FIG. 4. The display panel DP is integrally mounted in thehead-mounted display 200 to provide an image.

According to another embodiment, a display device (e.g., a portableterminal) may be coupled with the head-mounted display 200 to provide animage. The display device may include pixels PX each having the pixelcircuit shown in FIG. 2, and the pixels PX may be controlled or drivenin accordance with the timing chart shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.

In FIG. 7, a case where a left-eye image and a right-eye image aredisplayed through one display panel DP will be described as an example.The display panel DP may be divided into a left-eye image display areaL_DA for displaying a left-eye image and a right-eye image display areaR_DA for displaying a right-eye image. The left-eye image display areaL_DA and the right-eye image display area R_DA may be driven by separatedrivers. According to another embodiment, both the left-eye imagedisplay area L_DA and the right-eye image display area R_DA may bedriven by one driver. According to still another embodiment, the displaypanel DP may include a left-eye display panel and a right-eye displaypanel that are separate from each other.

The display panel DP generates an image corresponding to the input imagedata. The display panel DP may include pixels PX each having the pixelcircuit shown in FIG. 2. Each of the pixels PX may include threetransistors and two capacitors, and may be connected to the first andsecond power supply lines PL1 and PL2, the data line DL, the scan lineSL, and the control line CL. The pixels PX may be controlled or drivenin accordance with the timing chart shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.

An optical system OL may be inside the body 211 of the case 210. Theoptical system OL can enlarge an image provided from the display panelDP. Since the image displayed on the display panel DP is enlarged by theoptical system OL and recognized by the user USER, a high-quality imagecan be provided to the user USER only when the resolution of the displaypanel DP is very high. The display panel DP according to an embodimentincludes pixels PX each having a pixel circuit including threetransistors, two capacitors, and a light emitting element. Therefore,the organic light emitting display device 100 including the pixels PXcan be manufactured with an ultra-high resolution of 1200 ppi or higher,for example, about 1600 ppi, and thus an image having a clearer imagequality can be displayed.

The optical system OL may be spaced apart from the display panel DP inthe first direction DR1. The optical system OL may be between thedisplay panel DP and the eye of the user USER. The distance between theoptical system OL and the display panel DP may be adjusted depending onthe visual acuity of the user USER.

The optical system OL may include a right eye optical system OL_R and aleft eye optical system OL_L. The left eye optical system OL_L mayenlarge an image and provide the enlarge image to the left pupil of theuser USER, and the right eye optical system OL_R may enlarge an imageand provide the enlarged image to the right pupil of the user USER. Theleft eye optical system OL_L and the right eye optical system OL_R maybe spaced apart from each other in the second direction DR2 intersectingthe first direction DR1. The distance between the right eye opticalsystem OL_R and the left eye optical system OL_L may be adjustedcorresponding to the distance between the two eyes of the user USER.

The optical system OL may be a convex aspherical lens. Each of the lefteye optical system OL_L and the right eye optical system OL_R may beformed of only one lens. Alternatively, each of the left eye opticalsystem OL_L and the right eye optical system OL_R may include aplurality of lenses.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a pixelcircuit includes only two switching transistors in addition to thedriving transistor, and is connected to only one control line inaddition to the scanning line and the data line. Therefore, the area ofa pixel can be reduced, and the resolution of the display deviceincluding such a pixel can be increased. Further, the pixel circuitaccording to the various embodiments of the present disclosure cansimultaneously solve a problem of non-uniformity of the thresholdvoltage of the driving transistor, a problem that the driving transistorhas hysteresis characteristic, and a problem that the organic lightemitting diode slightly emits light. Accordingly, the display deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure can displayan image of ultra-high resolution.

Example embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specificterms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. In someinstances, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art asof the filing of the present application, features, characteristics,and/or elements described in connection with a particular embodiment maybe used singly or in combination with features, characteristics, and/orelements described in connection with other embodiments unless otherwisespecifically indicated. Accordingly, it will be understood by those ofskill in the art that various changes in form and details may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention asset forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for driving a pixel circuit, the pixelcircuit to be connected to a data line and first and second power supplylines and comprising: a light emitting element connected between thefirst power supply line and the second power supply line; a drivingtransistor to control a current flowing from the first power supply lineto the second power supply line through the light emitting elementaccording to a voltage of a first node; a first switching elementconnected between the first node and a second node; a second switchingelement connected between the second node and a third node; a firstcapacitor connected between the first power supply line and the firstnode; and a second capacitor connected between the second node and thedata line, the method comprising: during a light emission period inwhich the light emitting element emits light, applying a first levelvoltage to the first power supply line and applying a second levelvoltage to the second power supply line, during at least a part of anon-light emission period in which the light emitting element does notemit light, applying a third level voltage different from the firstlevel voltage to the first power supply line, and during the non-lightemission period, applying a fourth level voltage different from thesecond level voltage to the second power supply line.
 2. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the driving transistor includes: a gateelectrode connected to the first node, a source electrode connected tothe first power supply line, and a drain electrode connected to thethird node.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lightemitting element includes an organic light emitting diode connectedbetween the third node and the second power supply line.
 4. The methodas claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switching element includes: afirst switching transistor having a gate electrode connected to a scanline, a first electrode connected to the first node, and a secondelectrode connected to the second node.
 5. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the second switching element includes a secondswitching transistor having a gate electrode connected to a controlline, a first electrode connected to the second node, and a thirdelectrode connected to the third node.
 6. The method as claimed in claim1, wherein, during the non-light emission period, after applying thethird level voltage to the first power supply line, sequentially turningon the second switching element and the first switching element.
 7. Themethod as claimed in claim 6, wherein, during the non-light emissionperiod, after sequentially turning on the second switching element andthe first switching element, applying the first level voltage to thefirst power supply line.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein,during the non-light emission period, after applying the first levelvoltage to the first power supply line, turning off the first and secondswitching elements while applying a reference voltage to the data line.9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, during the non-lightemission period after applying the first level voltage to the firstpower supply line, maintaining the second switching element in aturn-off state, and changing the first switching element from a turn-onstate to a turn-off state while applying a data voltage to the dataline.
 10. A display device, comprising: a first power supply line; asecond power supply line; a data line; a pixel including: a firstswitching element connected between a first node and a second node, asecond switching element connected between the second node and a thirdnode, a driving transistor to control a current flowing from the firstpower supply line to the third node according to a voltage of the firstnode, a light emitting element connected between the third node and thesecond power supply line, a first capacitor connected between the firstpower supply line and the first node, and a second capacitor connectedbetween the second node and the data line; and a controller to controlthe first and second switching elements, the first and second powersupply lines, and the data line, during one frame period including firstto seventh sequential periods, wherein, during the seventh period, thecontroller is to: apply a first level voltage to the first power supplyline, apply a second level voltage to the second power supply line, andturn off the first and second switching elements.
 11. The display deviceas claimed in claim 10, wherein, during the first period, thecontroller: apply the first level voltage to the first power supplyline, apply a fourth level voltage different from the second levelvoltage to the second power supply line, and turn off the first andsecond switching elements.
 12. The display device as claimed in claim10, wherein, during the second period, the controller is to: apply athird level voltage different from the first level voltage to the firstpower supply line, apply a fourth level voltage different from thesecond level voltage to the second power supply line, and turn off thefirst and second switching elements.
 13. The display device as claimedin claim 10, wherein, during the third period, the controller is to:apply a third level voltage different from the first level voltage tothe first power supply line, apply a fourth level voltage different fromthe second level voltage to the second power supply line, and turn offthe first switching element and turn on the second switching element.14. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, during thefourth period, the controller is to: apply a third level voltagedifferent from the first level voltage to the first power supply line,apply a fourth level voltage different from the second level voltage tothe second power supply line, and turn on the first and second switchingelements.
 15. The display device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, duringthe fifth period, the controller is to: apply the first level voltage tothe first power supply line, apply a fourth level voltage different fromthe second level voltage to the second power supply line, and turn onthe first and second switching elements.
 16. The display device asclaimed in claim 10, wherein, during the sixth period, the controller isto: apply the first level voltage to the first power supply line, applya fourth level voltage different from the second level voltage to thesecond power supply line, turn off the second switching element, andchange the first switching element from a turn-on state to a turn-offstate while applying a data voltage to the data line.
 17. The displaydevice as claimed in claim 10, wherein the controller is to apply areference voltage to the data line during at least the fourth and fifthperiods.
 18. An organic light emitting display device, comprising: apixel connected to a first power supply line, a second power supplyline, a scan line, a control line, and a data line; and a driver tocontrol the first power supply line, the second power supply line, thescan line, the control line, and the data line, during first to seventhsequential periods, wherein the pixel includes: an organic lightemitting diode including a first electrode and a second electrode, thesecond electrode being connected to the second power supply line; afirst transistor including a gate electrode, a first electrode connectedto the first power supply line, and a second electrode connected to thefirst electrode of the organic light emitting diode; a second transistorincluding a control electrode connected to the scan line, a firstelectrode connected to the gate electrode of the first transistor, and asecond electrode; a third transistor including a control electrodeconnected to the control line, a first electrode connected to the secondelectrode of the second transistor, and a second electrode connected tothe second electrode of the first transistor; a first capacitorconnected between the first power supply line and the gate electrode ofthe first transistor; and a second capacitor connected between thesecond electrode of the second transistor and the data line, wherein thedriver is to: apply a first level voltage to the first power supply lineduring the seventh period, apply a second level voltage different fromthe first level voltage to the first power supply line during at leastone period from among the first to sixth periods, apply a third levelvoltage to the second power supply line during at least one period fromamong the first to sixth periods, and apply a fourth level voltagedifferent from the third level voltage to the second power supply lineduring the seventh period.
 19. The display device as claimed in claim18, wherein the driver is to: apply the first level voltage to the firstpower supply line during the first, fifth, sixth, and seventh periods,and apply the second level voltage to the first power supply line duringthe second to fourth periods.
 20. The display device as claimed in claim18, wherein the driver is to: apply the third level voltage to thesecond power supply line during the first to sixth periods.
 21. Thedisplay device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the driver is to: apply aturn-off voltage for turning off the third transistor to the controlline during the first, second, sixth, and seventh periods, and apply aturn-on voltage for turning on the third transistor to the control lineduring the third to fifth periods.
 22. The display device as claimed inclaim 18, wherein the driver is to: apply a turn-off voltage for turningoff the second transistor to the scan line during the first, second,third, and seventh periods, apply a turn-on voltage for turning on thesecond transistor to the scan line during the fourth and fifth periods,and temporarily apply a turn-on voltage to the scan line insynchronization with a data voltage applied to the data line during thesixth period.
 23. The display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein thedriver is to: apply a data voltage to the data line during the sixthperiod, and apply a reference voltage to the data line during the fourthand fifth periods.